NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — The Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO) will perform a test closure on a 43” transition main near Fig Street and College Court beginning at approximately 10 a.m. on Wednesday, April 13.

According to a media release from the SWBNO, the test water closure is expected to last approximately 24 hours so crews can understand the impacts through peak usage times.

The transmission water main repair work is part of the Joint Infrastructure Recovery Roads (JIRR) Program, a FEMA-funded cooperative City/SWBNO infrastructure restoration effort.

The SWBNO states that upper floors of buildings, particularly in the Central Business District, could experience lower-than-normal pressures – especially those without booster pumps. For most residential customers, the change is likely to be undetectable.

While the test closure is underway, crews will monitor water pressure throughout the city. If pressures dip below 20 PSI, we will notify the public of the need for a precautionary boil water advisory.

Customers who experience low or no water pressure should always call our Emergency Call Center at 504-52-WATER (504-529-2837) or email customerservice@swbno.org.

Pending the results of the test closure, a portion of the transmission water main will be taken out of service for rehabilitation. The repair work to the transition main could begin as soon as the week of April 18. Once the repair begins, the water main is anticipated to be brought back into full service within 90 days. Residents and businesses will be notified prior to work commencing.

For questions and/or concerns about JIRR projects, please visit https://roadwork.nola.gov, contact the RoadworkNOLA hotline at 504-658-ROAD (504-658-7623) or e-mail roadwork@nola.gov.

The SWBNO appreciates customers’ patience as they work to maintain the community’s water system, and said it will update the public with additional repair details as they become available.